JAPAN: The Godfather-san

Back in 1964, former Japanese Premier Nobusuke
Kishi needed a big favor: a guarantee that his brother Eisaku Sato
would succeed ailing Hayato Ikeda as Premier. So Kishi paid a secret
visit to a Tokyo businessman who obligingly made a few telephone calls
to his friends. As a result, Sato's opponent hastily withdrew from the
race, and Sato went on to become Japan's Premier for an unprecedented
eight years.

The tale illustrates the astonishing behind-the-scenes influence wielded
by Ryoichi Sasakawa, 75, the most powerful remaining member of a
vanishing breed of Japanese...